Somebody suggested that the venom should be dislodged from the patient’s stomach, so an emetic was administered in the form of a handful of common salt, with immediate and seismic effect.  Then a decoction of neem leaves was poured down the man’s throat.  The neem tree is an enemy of all fevers and a friend of man generally, so much so that it is healthful to sleep under its shade.  Therefore a decoction of the leaves could not fail to be beneficial in one way or another.  The residue of the leaves was well rubbed into the crown of the man’s head for more direct effect on the brains in case they might be affected.  Something else was rubbed in under the root of the tongue.

In the meantime a man with some experience in exorcism had brought twigs of a tree of well-ascertained potency in expelling the devil, and advised that, in view of the known connection between serpents and Satan, it would be well to try beating the patient with these.  The advice was taken, and many stripes were laid upon him.  Massage was also tried, and other homely expedients, such as bandaging and thumping with the fists, were not neglected.

It was about noon when I was told of the accident, and I went down at once and found the poor man in a woeful state, as well he might be after such rough handling as he had suffered for four consecutive hours; but he was quite conscious and there was neither pain nor swelling in the bitten foot.  I remonstrated most vigorously, pointing out that the snake, which nobody had seen, might not have been a venomous one at all, that there were no symptoms of poisoning, except such as might also be explained by the treatment the man had suffered at the hands of his friends, and that, in short, I could see no reason to think he was going to die unless they were determined to kill him.

My words appeared to produce a good effect on the Parsees at least, and they consented to stop curing the man and let him rest, giving him such stimulating refreshment as he would take, for he was a pious Mussulman and would not touch wine or spirits.  I said what I could to cheer him up, and went away hoping that I had saved a human life.  Alas!  In an hour or so a friend came in with a root of rare virtue and persuaded the man to swallow some preparation of it. Post hoc, whether propter hoc I dare not say, he became unconscious and sank.  Before night he was buried.

All this did not happen in some obscure village in a remote jungle.  It happened within a mile and a half of a town controlled by a municipal corporation which enjoys the rights and privileges of “local self-government.”  In that town there was a dispensary, with a very capable assistant-surgeon in charge, and in that dispensary I doubt not you would have found a bottle of strong liquor ammoniae and a printed copy of the directions issued by a paternal Government for the recovery of persons bitten by venomous serpents.  But when the man was bitten the one